Traction device for automobile-wheels.



1. F. SCHERER & F. J. GEORGE.

TRACTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED our. 22. m1.

1 373,930. [a Patented July 30, 191&

I Awe/W055 WITNESSES. JP. swam/a.

l-TJT Gorra UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. SCHERER AND FREDERiCK. J. GEORGE, QF MINNEAPOLIS, M INIiT ESOTA.

TRACTION DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE-WHEELS.

Specification 01' Letters Patent.

Application filed October 22, 1917. Serial No. 197,828

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN F. Sennnnn and Fannnmcx J. Gnonon, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Minneapolis. in the county of Hennepinand State of Minnes ta, have invented certain new and use fulImprovements in Traction Devices for .\utomohile-lvhcelsz and we dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

our invention relates to a traction device for auionmhile wheels and hasfor its object to provide such a device that is both antiskidding andanti-slipl'iing.

To the above end. the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of de- \lccs hereinafter described and defined in theclaims.

in the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the 1m ention. likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views,

lh'l'errinoto the drawings,

Figure I shows an automobile wheel equipped with a pneumatic tire.having two of the improicd traction devices applied the ,hooks 12 bybending the free ends ofw said hooks into the notches 11, as shown inFig. 1.

The anchoring chains 6 and 7 arc secured, 60

one to ea h of the side plates 4 by inserting the links, at one of theirends, into the inner ends of the respective traction lugs 10 andsecuring the same thereto by rivets l3.

This hook 14 pivotally attached to the 70 link. at the free end of thechain 7, and

adapted to be inserted through an extra link 15 in the chain 7 and heldthereby in an operative position.

the link 15, the two chains 6 and. 7 may be adjustahly connected forsecuring the trac-' r;

Lion device in position on the tire. 8.

It is highly important to note that the' piii) outer ends of thetraction lugs 10 are l0- cated considerably inward of the tread of.

the tire 8, so that, under normal conditions-' 4 The tree end of thechain 13, which chain is con 65 Obviously. by inserting the hook illthrmigh one of the links in the 7.5 chain (5. "before interlocking the,same with a of the roadhed. only the tread chains 5 are. l active toprevent both skidding and Bill): 85

Fig. J l\ an cad elevation of one of the V ping. In case the roadlawl inmuddy, sandy traction dcvit-w applied to the automohilc or covered withsnow and ice, in which the mounted on an automobile wheel 9.

\iln-vl and tire. oid wheel and tire being diagrammatir-ally illustratedby means of broken line a: they would appear in seetioo taken on theirregular line 2-Q of Fig. l. on an rnlarged scale; and

Fig. 13 is a tread view of the parts shown inl igi 2. with the exceptionthat the tire. is shown hy means of full lines.

The improved traction device comprises a pair of side plates 4, a pairof tread chains 5 and a two-part anchoring chain ii and 7. The side.plates 4 are flat and arranged to engage the sides of a pneumatic. tire8 Each side plate'4 is bent outward to form a U- shaped radiallyprojecting traction lug 10. These side plates 4 are also hunt'circmnhwcntially to conform to the shape of the tire 8, and their endportions are notched at 11 to Form long inwardly projecting hooks 12.The two side plates 4 are connected by the tread chains 5 and whichtread chains, in turn, are detachahly secured to the side plateshy-interlockin their and links with the liookH 12 thereo The treadchains 5 are prevented from becoming detached from the cuts intosufficiently to bring the tra tion lugs 10 into contact therewith. saidtramp iiOlLlllgS. as they project, laterally from hotlnQO sides of the 4ire, take a firm hold in the road-T bed and thereby prevent the wheelfrom slipping or spinning. The open outer ends of the traction lugs 10also out into the roadbcd-and thereby greatly increase the hold of saidtraction lugs. By locating the traction lugs above the tread of thetire, it well adapts the improved traction device for driving, either onpaved or dirt. roads, as

there can he no pounding action of the Mac W'hen the tread chains 5 areworn out,

new ones may be substituted therefor, or by substituting tread chains ofdifferent lengths, the traction device may be used on different sizedtires. To remove the tread chains 5 from theside plates 4, it is onlynee'essary'to bend the free ends of the hooks 12 out of the, notches llby the use of a screw driver or other suitable too]. After a new chainis se cured to the hooks 12, the same may be again bent into the notches11 to prevent the said new chain from becoming detached from the sideplate 4.- It will thus be seen, that the only parts of the tractiondevice that are subject to any great amount of wear, arc the treadchains 5 and these may be replaced, from time to time, at a very smallexpense. While two of the traction devices are shown applied to thewheel, it is, of course, under-- stood that any desired number can beused It is also evident that these traction devices may be very quicklyapplied to or removed from a wheel, and, when not in use, may be storedunder a seat, or other convenient place.

\Vhat we claim is:

1. A traction device of the kind described comprising a pair of sideplates having integral hooks at their ends, a pair of circumfcrcntiallyspaced tread chains secured to and connecting the side plates byinterlock ing certain of their links with said hooks, said hooks havingtheirends bent in the plane of the side plates to prevent the treadchains from becoming detached therefrom, and means for securing the sideplates in position on the sides of a tire.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a pair of flat side platesadapted to engage opposite sides of a tire, each of said side. platesbeing bent outward, at its intermediate portion, to form a radiallyproject-- ing traction lug, a tread chain connecting the side plates,and means for securing the side plates in position on the'tire.

A traction device of the kind described comprising, a pair of flat sideplates adapted to engage opposite sides of a tire, each of said sideplates being bent outwardly, at its intermediate portion, to form aradially projecting U-shaped traction lug, a tread chain connecting theside plates, and flexible means attached to said traction lugs forsecuring the side plates in position on the tire.

4. A traction device of the kind described con'iprising a pair of flatside plates adapted to engage opposite sides of a tire and havingtraction lugs, the end portions of the side plates being notched to formhooks, a pair of oircumfcrcntially spaced tread chains having certain oftheir links interlocked with the said hooks, the ends of the hooks beingbent toward the side plates to prevent the tread chains from becomingdetached therefrom, and means for securing the side plates in positionon the sides of a tire.

a. A traction device of the kind described comprising a pair of flatside plates adapted to engage opposite sides of a tire, each of saidside plates being bcnt outward. at its intermediate portion, to form aradially projecting traction lug, a pair of circumfereir tialty spacedtread chains connecting the side plates, a rivet connecting thecircumt'crentially spaced walls of each traction lug, and means attachedto said rivets for secnring the side plates in position on the sides ofatire.

6. A traction device of the kind described including a flat side plateadapted to engage one side of a tire, said side plate being bentoutward, at its intermediate portion, to form a radially projectingtraction lug, a cross tread chain attached to the side plate, and meansfor securing the side plate in position on the tire.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures in presence of twowitnesses JOHN F. S'CHERER. FREDERICK J. GEORGE. Witnesses CLARADEMAREST, HARRY D. Klnoonn.

